Winter's End
by Nibby the Bird The first thing he noticed about the Ice Kingdom were, well, the seals. Instead of the happy, sleek, brownish grey monk seals of his home, he was met with wide eyes white harp seals that stared oddly from ice glaciers. Mountain peaks glared on the distant horizon, and the whole land felt odd and unnatural. The air felt unusually cold, despite Seal’s natural chilly air. The SeaWing tightened the otter cloak around his shoulders, shivering onwards as he jumped across the icy blocks. He was never a good flier, and would hate for an uptight iceWing to spot him shaking around in the windy air. That, and he was shivering so much he could hardly steady his wings. Soon, the city of the IceWings was growing nearer and nearer. Seal, although anxious about meeting potential relatives in the kingdom, was a bit intrigued. He read many books and scrolls in his youth about the different tribes, and couldn’t wait to see a real Icewing up close. He couldn’t help but wonder if they really wore a mane of icicles and shining scales and a penetrating cold breath. The excitement of travel and adventure was starting to grow on him, just a bit, and was beginning to override his anxiety. After several more minutes of shaky flapping and jumping over the icy landscape, Seal reached the mainland. The area was rocky, with dark grey hills protruding from the vast white floor. He tried to rest in the shadows of the hills, but only so much of him could be hidden. He made his way into a small community, clutching his knapsack tightly and his jaw even tighter. Already, he could feel hard gazes of passing IceWings shoot through him. They all remained eerily silent, but he knew just how much his sky-blue and pink scales clashed with the simple gray, white, and blue ice formations and houses. He gulped, trying to steady his shaky legs. Eventually, he realized he didn’t have a plan. He came to the Ice Kingdom after his visit to the NightWing village to learn about his heritage but he was sure calling out and asking, “Hey, does anybody here have a past SeaWing lover?” would be impractical and was sure to get him chased out at best, or imprisoned at worst. Already, every second he stepped he was sure some guard would leap out of the shadows and force him into a prison cell where he would freeze to death. He was also poor, alone, and carried very few items with him. Perhaps some food would be good. He bent down his head, stretched out his cloak to cover as much of his soft blue SeaWing scales as possible, and produced a few golden coins from his fur knapsack. Looking around, he couldn’t catch any vendors selling food. All he saw were busy-looking IceWings hurrying into places or taking off into the air. Suddenly, at the top of a rocky mound, he caught a few extra-formal looking IceWings crowding around a polar bear carcass. Seal cringed at the sudden silence as he clambered over the rocks and drearily paced up to the dining group, already regretting his choice. “Ahem, uh, e-excuse me,” Seal murmured as he strode forward. “Do y-you have any, um, fish? I have s-some, some coins if you, uh….” All of his lessons on etiquette and the proper way to ask for things from his school in the sea were already forgotten. Nobody in the group of about four or five seemed to notice or care what the prince said. All they payed attention too was his tribe. A few of them, however, seemed to whispering, but not about him. “A SeaWing,” muttered one of the ones staring blankly at the prince. He slowly smiled, his sharp teeth poking through cracked, pale blue lips. “What would a feeble SeaWing be doing here, in this diplomatic meeting?” “Um, sir, I-I’m a, a traveler. I’ve reached the Ice Kingdom to learn about my, p-possible IceWing heritage.” “Well, that’s nice. Too bad first circle fellows like us aren’t going to associate with hybrids like you. Move along, kid.” The dragon had distinct, almost caricature-like IceWing features. His head was a perfect diamond, his claws were perfectly sharp, and his horns were plentiful. The only thing that seemed off was his lowered stance. “P-please, if I could just be lent one, uh, grayling, I’ll pay, you, I swear--” Seal began backing away, trying to tear his eyes from the tempting looking grayling speared on a metal tree of some sort for holding fish and lemmings. He shoveled his flat talons into the round, trying to avoid a fight with the serrated claws of the IceWings. The pale blue IceWing lowered his eyebrows. Seal couldn’t help but notice the dark circles under his eyes and the way his tail dropped on the ground instead of stick straight out like the other formal IceWings. “Listen, dolphin. I don’t have time for this kind of fooling around.” He shook his head at the mere sight of Seal, who’s heart was sinking. “Well, Permafrost, that’s surprising, because last time I checked, you were fooling around with some NightWings, if you get what I’m saying,” one of the whispering IceWings cackled. “Shut up, if you know what’s good for you,” the one called Permafrost hissed. “It is none of your business, and I am protected by royalty to not deal with fools like you.” He turned back to face Seal, who was considering just leaving before this escalated into a skirmish. “And I don’t have to talk to anxious SeaWings either.” With a dramatic sweep of his wings, Permafrost leaped off of the hill and glided off into the pale blue horizon. Seal quickly turned away from the sight of the fleeing dragon. “I--I should get going. I-I’m sorry about the fish, uh, good luck, bye.” He was sorry to be leaving them so soon, but he was sure nothing could be found in the odd group of diplomats. Trying to act like the royalty he technically was, he wanted to remain as kind as possible, although the blue-eyed glares he received as he backed way told him his “politeness” would not be returned. He nodded swiftly as a last goodbye to the group. He descended over the craggy rocks, and was resting behind a large one when he paused, hearing louder whispers rise up again from the group. “You know, it wasn’t NightWings Permafrost fools with. I’ve heard he had eggs with SeaWings too.” Another IceWing with a deep, low voice spoke. “Wow. Don’t let that poor little traveller hear that!” laughed another. Although he was aware of the danger, Seal froze in place. He read too many good books about affairs to want to miss this story, even if it meant hiding for a minute longer. After all, he was small and quiet. He could manage, if it meant learning anything about IceWing-SeaWing relationships. “Really? Next you’ll be telling me he smooched RainWings.” “Maybe. Although he did take a leave, many years ago. And he always acts like he was never gone. Who knows what he could have done in that time?” As quietly as he could, Seal fumbled through his knapsack to grab a pen and scroll, to write the conversation down in case he would need it. “I was told it was not any SeaWing, but the queen. You know, the animus one.” Seal dropped his pen. “Permafrost and Anchovy? Highly unlikely.” “I’m serious. He maybe have ran away with her, and had one more egg while she was ailing from the enchantment of Pelican.” “I did hear about that messed up prince, with the animus powers nobody knew about. He attempted to slaughter all the queens and their family, many years ago.” “Sounds like the son of Permafrost.” Clamping a webbed talon over his mouth and gripping the ice with his other’s, Seal’s whole body clenched up and refused to let go. His father was here, with the iceWings. Permafrost. And the IceWings knew all about the terrible things he did. And if he wanted to learn about his heritage, he had to speak with the most intimidating one-- Permafrost. A fierce, tired IceWing diplomat who hated hybrids. But he had to be brave. He had to learn, to solve the mystery of his existence, even if it meant dealing with not-so-friendly diplomats. He would redeem himself, no matter what it took. He raced down the hill and took off, flying on shaky wings through the cold, windy air, towards his father, and his future. ☀▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️☀ “No. No way are you my son.” Shaking his head in disappointment, the scraggly diplomat turned away and began walking back to his hut. “W-wait!” Seal hurried after Permafrost, but his wide webbed feet slipped on the slick ice and he nearly fell face-first into the snow. “Please.” He tried to stand right next to his father, but Permafrost kept averting his gaze from the SeaWing. “You are nothing to me.” “I’m p-prince Seal of the, uh, Seawings, son of Anchovy, and I believe you. It has to be you, there’s nobody else. I must be an I-IceWing hybrid.” “I don’t have time for this. I made mistakes years ago, but I do not have to deal with Anchovy’s mistakes.” “Sir, I need to d-discover--” “I need you to leave!” The IceWing spun around, snapping his sharp jaws shut inches from Seal’s pale blue snout. Seal whimpered and bowed his head. He came to the Ice Kingdom for answers and freedom, but Permafrost was just like Anchovy. Belittling and shoving aside Seal only because he wasn’t their dream dragonet.”I-I have nowhere else to go now.” He shivered again, the cold running deep through him and painfully penetrating his scales. He once heard the rumors, about how IceWings were the only tribe that could survive for long in the tundra. Even though he had Icewing blood, he didn’t know how long he could last through the frigid temperatures. “I’ll catch some fish for you to eat. But as soon as you’ve eaten, you’re gone from here, do you understand that?” “B-but why? Thi seems very impractical…” “I can’t tell you why, OKAY?” Permafrost roared. The IceWing let his tail scrape through the snow as he turned away, towards the icy plains. Gulping anxiously, Seal fumbled with his otter cloak, set down his knapsack, and hurried off with his father. ☀▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️☀ “Now see, when you catch fish, you have to be ready to spear them with your claws.” The tired eyes of Permafrost scanned the black-blue water in between the small pieces of floating ice, his eyes searching for fish. “But what if--” “If you have fumbly flippers, you can hold a spear,” Permafrost explained, his voice exasperated. “I’ve read up on sharp IceWing claws before. T-they can grip ice with the knife-like edges and tear right through scales--” “How about you just see it, huh, kid? Instead of reading about it?” Adjusting himself so his shadow wasn’t cast over the water, Permafrost held a pale blue claw inches from the surface. A second later, a silver flash whirled by, and with practiced expertise, the IceWing sht his claw through the water. Seal held his breath as his father slowly drew his talon upwards. On the edge of his claws, dripping with seawater, was a shiny grey fish. “Wow…” Seal muttered. With a halfhearted nod, Permafrost flicked his wrist and tossed the prey across the ground. The IceWing paced away, his head lowered, leaving Seal by the edge of the water, the wet fish at his webbed feet. Shaking himself once more, Seal grasped the silver fish in his jaws and stumbled across the ice, his tail trailing behind him. “T-thank you!” he called to his father, but the IceWing didn’t seem to hear. ☀▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️☀ The meat, although cold, was probably the most delicious thing Seal ever ate. He tried to force himself to only eat once he reached Permafrost’s house again, but something in his stomach refused to wait. So, dripping seawater and meaty juice behind him in a long trail, Seal devoured the fish his father caught. It was the only thing that broke the terrible silence. Perhaps it was the distance of Permafrost’s house from the other dragons, or maybe it was the bleak white landscape, but something still made Seal feel uncomfortable and on edge. It didn’t help that his father already seemed to be doubly so. “So.” The IceWing glanced over at his son once. “How is home?” It took the prince a minute to register. “T-the sea k-kingdom?” he stuttered. “Oh. Uh, I haven’t really been there in a while. But, uh, I guess it’s nice. Mother is… happy, i suppose.” The SeaWing shifted uncomfortably. “It’s--it’s not anywhere you want to be.” “Really?” Permafrost muttered. “Because I could be anywhere else right now.” “Why is th-that?” Seal leaned forward, curious. Permafrost did not respond. Instead, he led his son around the tundra, giving the small hut a wide berth. “I-I should pick up my bag. It does have some good books in it, and, I, um…” “Grab it and then you need to be getting on your merry way. Alright?” Permafrost replied coldly. Nodding anxiously, Seal took off for his bag. He left it in between a few ice-covered, dark blue rocks. But when he reached the outcrop in the snow, he realized with a jolt that the otter-fur knapsack was nowhere to be found. Frantically, he overturned the frigid rocks and scoured the area, but there was nothing. “Permafrost!” he yelled, panic edging his voice. “What?” The dragon’s muffled call came from inside the igloo-like hut. “I c-can’t find my bag!” There was a clatter of claws on ice, and suddenly, with surprising speed and determination, Permafrost raced outside. “Stop! Stop right there!” Holding his hand up in alarm, Seal backed away and swiveled around to meet Permafrost’s eyes. “M-my knapsack… it’s not here…” His heart was sinking. His only familiar objects were gone. But to his surprise, the tired looking IceWing didn’t demand that he “look harder.” That was what mother would have done, Seal realized. He could almost hear Anchovy hiss in his ears. Instead, a look of horror overcame the IceWing’s pale blue snout. “It just disappeared?” “Yeah-- I don’t know where it w-went, bu--” Permafrost lunged forward, gripping Seal’s shivering talons with such force the SeaWing feared he would collapse on the ground. “Tell me right now, Seal. What did you have in that bag?” “But--what--” “Listen up, SeaWing. There are dragons out there after me, after us, and I need to know what was in that bag.” “I--I think, I think a few scrolls, p-perhaps? And maybe some wrappers on tuna fish I already ate, uh, sea-salt scented bandages, too. Perhaps a small knife, maybe some coins. And, and, and, um…” A jolt of alarm shot through him. “My earrings!” “Your.... earrings?” A puzzled expression formed over the scarred IceWing snout. “Yes! They are k-kind of expensive and valuable j-jewelry, and, well, if those are thieves we’re dealing with--” “You idiot!” Permafrost roared, spit flying from his teeth. “They’re not thieves! They’re anti-hybrid murderers working against me!” Silence. Eventually, Seal sputtered, “But--but what would they f-find against you in-- in my bag?” “Hopefully nothing, if my stupid son were smart for once. But if you had any scrolls about SeaWings or royalty or animus magic or anything personal too you, then I’m done. And now that they know you’re here…” “What d-do you mean ‘you’re done’?” Seal started sweating despite the cold as this set in-- dragons hunting down his IceWing father, his belongings stolen, his own life as a hybrid threatened. “I--I can’t tell you. All I can tell you is that you--” he jabbed a spear-like claw at his son-- “--are not helping. And you have to go, right now, before anything else terrible happens.” Permafrost’s lips curled up in a snarl, and his yellowed, bit razor sharp, fangs were exposed to the gleaming sunlight. His eyes were tired, but his body seemed to shake with the slightest bit of fear. “L-l-leave?” “Yes! NOW!” Seal paused, for a moment, staring into his father’s eyes. There was something missing, Seal was sure of it. Something didn’t add up. But, he gathered up his shawl and trudged through the thick ice, away from his father and his hut, away from the last place he saw his belongings, away from the only family he had left. And he blew it. Permafrost was his last hope, his last chance at finding someone who cared about him, and even the IceWing didn’t care for him. Seal tried to convince himself it wasn’t his fault, that it was Permafrost who didn’t try hard enough, but nothing he said to himself would overpower the guilt he felt that night. By the time the IceWing’s hut was nothing more than a blur in the horizon. Seal collapsed in a cave dripping with icicles. He curled up tight, trying to fend off the cold with only his shawl. He couldn’t even read his favorite scroll to comfort himself; those were gone too. With nothing with him and his heart heavy with grief, Seal fell into a fitful, shivering sleep. ☀▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️☀ Serrated white claws clicked against ice. A long, whip-thin tail swayed gently. Dark violet eyes surveyed the valley below her, and the igloo-hut smack in the middle. The dragon was creeping along the edge of a cliff. Although her large figure would stand out in daylight like a black bear in the tundra, under the cover of an indigo night, she was nothing short of invisible. See turned the heavy harpoon over and over again in his talons. The blade was freshly sharpened, the wooden handle polished. She smiled, drawing her curling talons over the long, winding rope. Her eyes locked on the hut, lit from the inside by a few oil lamps. The resident of the hut was still moving around, his shadows flickering out the doorway. The dragon on the cliff waited for the perfect moment, refusing to even blink. Then, she saw it. Wrapping her talons one by one around the handle, she held it steady for a second longer… And threw it down, towards the hut and the shadows. She paused for a moment. The silence still remained, creeping through the night like cracks in a glacier. Not waiting a minute too late, the dragon on the cliff gathered her wings and flew away. ☀▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️☀ Seal blinked open his eyes. Freezing water melting from the icicles trickled through the cave and splattered over his pale blue and pink scales. He groaned. He didn’t want to wake up, he didn’t want to have to fly away clumsily from the Ice Kingdom in shame while Permafrost glared from the doorway of his hut. But he had too. It didn’t matter what he wanted, it never mattered. He understood the situation, and must deal, no matter how painful it was for him. He dragged himself out of the chilly cave, into the even colder morning. He instinctively reached for his knapsack, before remembering what happened to it. Already, he missed his scrolls about history and SeaWing legends and all of his favorite things. He glanced over at Permafrost’s hut in the center of the clearing. It was so still and quiet, at first he wasn’t even sure his father was awake yet. But then he heard the yell. Permafrost was standing just outside of his hut. Planted right in the doorway was something that looked like a spear. He knew he shouldn’t have gone over to his father. But something inside of Seal told him he had to, if he wanted another chance at figuring out his father. He raced over, half flying, half running. “P-Permafrost!” he called. “What’s happening?” He landed with a scrape on the ice just in front of his glaring father. Just in between the two dragons was a harpoon, the blade buried in the ice. It stuck out from the ground at a deadly angle one that Seal knew would penetrate scales easily. The rope on the end trailed and curled along the floor on the hut, only a few feet away from his father’s bed. Silently, Permafrost yanked the harpoon out of the ice and cast it outside the hut. It fell with a clatter to the ground, and Seal could see just how fresh and sharp the hooked blade was. Seal turned up to meet his father’s eyes. “Who w-was that?” “The people who won’t let you stay here.” He curled his lips, tension rising in his cold voice. “I told you to scram.” “But-- but who did this? Is someone trying to kill you?” Permafrost rubbed his temples, his dark eyes weary and stressed. “It’s-- it’s heard to explain, but he must still be here, you should just g---” “Hey!” Seal stepped right in front of his father, cutting the IceWing off. “What is going on? Is someone going to kill you? Tell me!” he shouted. Seal said it with a harsher voice than he meant. He stepped back, his heartbeat roaring in his ears. Why did he have to be like that? He would never, ever lash out at the royal SeaWings. He would always try to be kind to them, to let them step over him. But now, something forced him to stare directly at his father and demand what happened, what was wrong, who he really was. “Do you really want to know?” Permafrost hissed it, his voice so low Seal could barely hear it. The prince SeaWing nodded, trying to stop his talons from shaking of fear. “Well then,” the IceWing snarled, shoving his snout inches from his son’s, “I can tell you But your hybrid as yourself, it’s not pretty.” “I c-can handle it,” Seal stated firmly. Permafrost exhaled through his nose. “Alright then.” He ushered his son inside with a flick of his spiked tail. He settled onto the bench sticking off the ice-brick walls, which Seal assumed was some kind of freezing bed. “I did love your mother. But the thought of dragonets… of having to raise a hybrid, who carried animus blood… it was too dangerous, for my rankings, and my life.” He smiled faintly. “I wasn’t wrong about the life part, I knew that much when I rejected your egg.” “You rejected me?” Seal whispered, his voice cracking. The IceWing nodded, his eyes serious. “Hybrids are seen as a disgrace here. I rejected you, but I never, ever would have killed you. I had the chance, and many others would have taken it. You were safer with your mother” Seal felt his spirits lift. “You still c-cared about me, even if it meant never seeing me again.” “I suppose,” Permafrost muttered. “But you’re not so safe in the Sea Kingdom, are you?” Seal straightened himself in surprise. “I-I guess, yes. T-that’s why I came here.” “But you’re not safe here either.” Permafrost shook his head grimly. “There’s an anti-hybrid organization. They’ll kill you, and they’ve been trying to kill me. Trying for years, and years. I can’t go into the village much, and it seems every time the other diplomats bring up something about my past. I live in fear, in constant fear of them listening, and trying to kill me.” He sighed, his bleak eyes staring at the floor, but he gestured helplessly at the harpoon outside his door. “I guess they found my new home. I’ll never find anywhere I can sleep soundly at night, I’ll never live happily, never get peace.” He closed his eyes, like he was imaging when he could live in peace. Seal rested a webbed talon on his father’s pale blue arm. The wrinkled forehead, tired eyes, and droopy posture of the esteemed IceWing all made sense now. “You never feel safe, do you?” The only response was a shake of the IceWing’s head. “Neither do I.” Seal struggled to find the right thing to say to comfort his father. The only family he had a chance with almost died, and it was all his fault. “Come on, Permafrost.” Seal gripped his father’s talons and led him outside of the tiny hut. The world outside was bright and gleaming, and Seal managed to let himself enjoy the thought of travel again, a smile forming across his snout. It was amazing, it was fascinating. He was lucky to get to have heritage in a new place like this. But next to him, Permafrost wasn’t smiling. His eyes darted back and forth, as though checking for any assassins who had come to kill him once they learned he didn’t die the previous night. His claws sank into the ice, his joints bent in stiffly. An idea dawned on Seal. “Why don’t you just leave the Ice Kingdom? There is no way t-these anti-hybrid dragons could find you in say, Possibility. I’ve heard of dragons doing it before.” He shifted awkwardly, silently praying his father wouldn’t snap at him again. “No, no, no.” Permafrost flicked his ears. “I can’t leave. This place, no matter who lives in it with me, is my home. Even though they may hunt me down to the end of the tundra, I could never abandon my culture. I was born and raised here, in the Ice Kingdom, and could never live in a desert, or in the rainforest.” Seal sighed, his talons shaking nervously. He glanced up at his father again, unsure if he wanted to say what he was about too. “You know,” he started, his voice low, “I was scared to leave the Sea Kingdom. It was my home, I was b-born and raised, there, and I love the food, and stories, and everything else. It’s-it’s a beautiful place to me, and it always will be. I w-would never want to abandon it.” Permafrost cocked his head curiously, the grimace fading from his face for a split second. “But, then I remembered, all the great places I’ve read about, and learned about. I wasn’t happy in the Sea Kingdom, it was horrible for me.” He choked back tears welling in his teal eyes. “There is so much more to Pyrrhia than where you are born, and you aren’t stuck in this rut of fear, and w-worry.” He flapped his wings, laughing slightly. “You aren’t betraying the IceWings. If anything, th-these anti-hybrid dragons are.” Permafrost chuckled, and Seal swore the exhaustion vanished from his eyes. “You are quite the traveller, aren’t you, son? I never could be.” “I- I suppose.” “Say, Seal,” Permafrost muttered. “I never would be like you. You and I aren’t the same, and nothing will change that.” “But-- but this l-life can’t be safe, can it?” Permafrost inhaled. “Perhaps it is time I leave. Go somewhere else, somewhere north, preferably cold.” “R-really?” Seal cried. “That-- that’d be great.” “Perhaps. But I just want to leave, to get away.” “B-but what about me?” As soon as the words escaped his lips, Seal realized how self-centered he sounded. “I’m sorry, son. But a hybrid has no place here. I want to live alone, away from my old affair with the SeaWing queen.” Disappointed, Seal stared at his talons. He wasn’t sure what he expected. Did he really think he would earn his IceWing father’s approval? “I’m sorry, son. But this is what I must do.” The prince sighed. He reflexively looked around the area for anywhere he could stay, but he knew deep down that his home wasn’t with the IceWings. Non-IceWings were rumored to die eventually if they headed too far into their territory. “Well then.” Permafrost dipped his head. “Goodbye, son. And-- thank you.” “Thank you, father.” Seal smiled faintly, watching his father trek through the icy landscape into the distance. And then the dragons jumped out of the shadows. ☀▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️☀ Water splashed on Seal. It would have felt nice, if it didn’t wake him up for the second time that day, and was freezing cold. He jerked his tail back, and felt something cold and sharp. His eyes flew open. He was lying the same cave he slept in the previous night-- but this time, IceWing shadows flew across his scales. Panic surged through him, just before pain shot through his bones. He was knocked out before-- all he remembered was saying goodbye to his father, Permafrost, in a valley in the Ice Kingdom, before he felt claws pierce his scales and darkness over everything. He craned his neck as much as he allowed. Struggling next to him, his talons tied up in otter fur cloths, was Permafrost. Seal recognized the fur-- it was the fabric of his knapsack. What his father told him, about the organization that tried to kill both of them, flashed through his mind like words on a scroll. The dragons that threw the harpoon, the ones that stole his bag… they must be here, in the cave. “Seal,” Permafrost hissed. From the SeaWing’s angle, he could only see part of the walls and the shadows of hurrying IceWings reflected onto them. The tied down IceWing could move his neck to look up at the others and his son, but that was it. “W-who are th-these dragons?” Seal whispered, his stutter coming back to him. “One is named Polar. I suspect she threw the harpoon,” Permafrost hissed, his deep voice cracking. “I believe one is called Ptarmigan, from what I overheard. And another is Rime. She is a former nobleman, or something else first-circle.” Seal squeezed his talons, trying desperately to calm himself. The thought of his father being hunted down, again and again, by the same IceWings for decades to the point where he knew them by name was terrifying enough, but now, the dragons that drove his father to insomnia were clutching the two dragons they hated most. It was Seal’s worst nightmare. He felt lost, alone, fearful, again. One of them, with a gaunt, narrow face and rows of tiny aquamarine scales down her neck strode right in front of Permafrost. “So, it seems like this is another diplomatic meeting, eh?” Permafrost thrashed again. “Shut up, Rime. Don’t be so smug.” The one called Rime frowned. “Well. I would prefer happy prisoners, but alas, the father and son team are always upset. Shame, isn’t it?” She turned to face two other dragons, who Seal couldn’t see. A chorus of agreement echoed through the walls of the cave. “It’s for the better, of course,” added another, with a high-pitched voice. Seal assumed she was Polar. “I’m sad to have missed with that harpoon, but at least we get the close up details.” Seal shivered, and realized his cloak was gone too. “Oh look. It’s the little baby SeaWing monster,” taunted Rime, flicking her tail at Seal. “Poor thing. Too pathetic to save his daddy, isn’t he?” Seal stared helplessly at the ground. He couldn’t get upset, couldn’t get stressed, or else his powers may erupt and snap the necks of all of these IceWings in seconds. He realized that although he was lying sideways on the cold ground, there was nothing tying him down like his father. But the IceWings must have thought of him as so weak, so frightened he wouldn’t be able to do anything to them. He decided they were probably right. “Now, prince,” said a male voice. None of the IceWings moved closer to him, but Seal thought it was Ptarmigan. “Do you know anything about the destruction and pain your father has caused?” “M-m-my father is, is not b-bad,” Seal stumbled, curling his claws. “I w-wanted to learn from him, about I-IceWings.” He bit his tongue, holding back tears. He wanted to run away, and delve deep into the sea and never come out. “But now, sacred IceWing blood has ended up in a stuttering, pathetic, murderer SEaWing prince who can’t get anything right,” laughed Polar. “We’ve heard the stories, young dragon, of what you’ve done. IceWings are ashamed to have you in our territory, and your father showing his face to the real diplomats.” Permafrost opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but he just frowned. “I’m sorry, son,” he whispered. “I didn’t want to be like your mother.” Seal took in a deep, shuddering breath. He was going to die, right next to the last dragon who cared about him. He saw the talons of an IceWing (he assumed Ptarmigan) reach for a large, ivory ulu resting against the wall. Seal’s heart beat faster and faster, as Ptarmigan passed the weapon to Polar, who stood straight over Permafrost, her talons clutching the knife’s handle, with Rime holding Permafrost by the back of the neck so he couldn’t move. Rime and Polar looked straight at Permafrost’s neck, veins throbbing along it, but the old, tired dragon’s blue eyes staring straight ahead. “Goodbye, traitor,” Rime hissed. Seal could almost see the blood already, the dark blue-violet IceWing blood he expected to splatter over the ground, onto his father’s dead body. Painful flashbacks ran through him, blinding his vision for a split second. His father, right next to him, the blade coming down into his neck… In a flurry of claws and swipes, Seal lunged upwards, his tail streaming behind him as his claws struck the IceWings and then the ceiling. IceWing horns scraped against icicles, and his own webbing became pierced by the freezing blades, but he saw the ulu blade fly forward, clatter against the ice formations, and land with a thud on the other side of the cave. “STOP HIM!” screamed Polar. She crashed against the wall, the sheer force of her body sending icicles smashing down. Seal gasped, confused, before he realized that his powers must have acted. But his father was on the ground, blood across his chest. A thin line curved jarringly over the side of his neck, from when the ulu was knocked from Polar’s talons. But his father was breathing heavily, his eyes opened just slightly to see his son crouched against the side of the wall. Seal spun around, and saw Rime clutching the side of her head, clenching her jaw. Blood was spilling from her mouth, pooling on the ground and mixing with Permafrost's. “Father!” Seal cried, his voice cracking. He managed to stop his talons from shaking enough to cut through the ropes tying his father’s claws. “Get them! Get the hybrid!” Ptarmigan screamed, his voice thrown off of the walls. Springing to his feet, surprisingly spry for his age, Permafrost threw off the cloth and gripped Seal’s arm firmly. The two leaped out of the dripping cave, ice crashing down from the walls, blue and red blood trailing behind them. “P-Permaf--” “Run, Seal. Now.” His claws moving so quickly they scraped through the ice, Permafrost launched himself in the air, powerful blue wings catching the chilly winds. Seal cast one final glance back the collapsing cave, which the IceWings were struggling out of. He shook his head, the animus magic still pumping angrily through his talons. Seal took in a deep breath, calming his nerves, and then took off into the sky after his father. ☀▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️☀ The dragons flew for ages, hardly ever speaking to each other through short breaths and gasps. At first, Seal saw the silhouettes of Ptarmigan, Polar, and Rime chasing after the father and son, but after an hour or so, they seemed to have lost the anti-hybrid dragons. Seal still was having a hard time processing the events. He used his powers to to save his father from a bloody death, and yet he still felt wrong. He caused the long, dark blue scar along the sides of his father’s neck, simply by existing a hybrid and trying to find his real father. But he saved him. He still couldn’t believe it. Him,Prince Seal, the hybrid-animus who could never get anything right… had saved a life. Better yet, the life of his father, family, somebody who cared about him. “Where too?” he called, feeling lighter than air as he soared smoothly over the rocky sea, in between the “horns” and “wing” of Pyrrhia. “You know, son,” Permafrost replied, dipping lower into the sky. “You know the world, don’t you? You’ve been everywhere on Pyrrhia, no?” Seal nodded. “Well, show me a place that’s quiet, and peaceful.” Seal felt a little bit heavier. “Really? You still want to live alone?” “I don’t want to die a hermit, Seal, but I’d rather stay away from trouble. You understand, don’t you?” “I suppose,” the SeaWing muttered, his webs talons dangling below him. He scanned the cliff-covered coastline of the northern Sky Kingdom. “You know, I don’t think that there are any SkyWings living up there,” he told Permafrost, gesturing at the coastline. “It’s cold, like the Ice Kingdom, and I’m sure there are other traders there. But nobody would expect an IceWing like you to hide there.” Permafrost nodded solemnly. “Maybe I should live there.” They spent the rest of the trip in silence as they made their way down to a rocky inlet along the beaches. The air was only slightly warmer, but somehow Seal didn’t mind-- he’d gotten used to it. They landed along the chilly grey beaches. Permafrost held his head up high, watching the quiet land and roaring waves. Seal tried to focus on his feet, but he couldn’t help but smile at the peace and quiet of the ocean and sand. Permafrost seemed to smile faintly, too. He swished his tail energetically against the sand and ran his claws trough chilly tidepools. The old, tired IceWing might just be happy here. Seal knew just how much he wanted to stay with his father. It would be so great, just the two of them, in almost complete solitude next to the ocean. But he couldn’t. Permafrost didn’t want to stay with his son. He wanted to distance himself from Anchovy and the SeaWings, and live peacefully alone. Seal had to respect that. He learned about his heritage and met new family; that was enough. And anyways, there was more of the world Seal still wanted to see. More places to visit, more kingdoms to explore. “Goodbye, f-father,” he said, shuffling next to Permafrost. “Will you be okay here?” “I think I will be fine,” replied the old dragon. “I hope you can understand, that I need to live alone, to take refuge in a place like this.” The SeaWing nodded, his eyes lowered. He stretched out his wings, preparing for the journey away. “One more thing, son,” Permafrost added, tapping Seal’s tail. “Will you be able to find some scrolls for me? About SeaWings and their legends and things like that?” Seal chuckled with surprise. “Well, sure, I guess. I’ll see if I can buy some replacements for the ones that got stolen.” Permafrost nodded, deep in thought. “Thanks, Seal. Send them to me via messenger when you get them, okay?” Seal shook his father’s talon eagerly. “Of c-course.” He clambered onto a small cliff, preparing to take off into the late-afternoon sky. “Seal?” Permafrost called. “Yeah?” “Take care, son,” he smiled, his old cracked lips curling at the edges and his stained teeth glimmering. Seal could only wave. “Thanks, father,” he replied. “You too.” With that, he took off into the sky. Category:Fanfictions Category:Fanfictions (Completed) Category:Fanfictions (Fanon) Category:Content (Nibby the Bird)